Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of faith, hope, and charitie.
I. To the communion with Chriſt, and therefore, to the participation of ſaluation, faith is moſt neceſſarie.
TO the ingrafting into Chriſt, & the helping forward this communion, the holy ghoſt vſeth the outward inſtruments, of the goſpell, and the ſacraments: But vnleſſe the ſame ſpirite doe alſo ſtirre vp in vsus, faith, by which we may imbrace Chriſt with all his benefites offred vntounto vsus: we hold, that thoſe inſtruments can profitt vsus nothing to ſaluation: And therefore wee doubt not but to the vnion with Chriſt and participation of all his benefites, faith is moſt neceſſarie.
II. What we meane by the name of faith.
Now by the name of faith wee vnderſtand, not a certaine humaine opinion, or perſwaſion, concerning God, and Chriſt: but a gift of diuine wiſedome and prudence, ſtirred vp by the holy ghoſt in our heartes, by hearing the word of God: whereby wee with a ſincere, firme and conſtant minde doe aſſent to the whole word of God reuealed in the ſcriptures for the authoritie of God ſpeaking therein, but eſpecially to the goſpell, which bringeth the gladd tidinges of redemption purchaſed by Chriſt; and doe truely vnderſtand in it God himſelfe, his will, Chriſt our mediatour, and all his benefites: yea we certainely knowe them, louingly imbrace them, and call vppon God with an aſſured truſt in his merciemercy and in his vnſpeakable louelove towards vsus: & we are incouraged to louelove him againe, and alſo prouoked to the performance of a faithfull obedience to him, and to glorifie him in good workes, and dueties of charitie towards our neighbour, euen to the ende of our liues.
III. A confirmation of the former opinion.
For neither is true faith a property of mans wit, but a gifte of God: Phil. 1.29 Tit. 1.1 Act. 13.45 Heb. 11.neither is it giuen to all, but to the elect: neither is it an vncertaine and wauering opinion, of things promiſed, but a ſubſtance and ſetled aſſurance of things promiſed, & an aſſured taking hold on things which are not ſeene. Rom. 10.17.Neither doth it growe from the hearing of humaine reaſons, but is conceiued by hearing the word of God, and is grounded vponupon the authoritie of God himſelfe onelyonly, ſpeaking and promiſing: Neither is it an hypocritical and diſſembled, 1. Tim. 1.5 Mat. 13.21.but a ſincere aſſent thereunto. Neither is it a temporall perſuaſion, but a conſtant and perpetuall: though many times wee weaken the ſame by our ſinnes. Eph. 1.8Neither is it a blinde or fonde matter, but an exceeding great wiſedome, whereby wee knowe God and Chriſt and heauenlie things: and a chriſtian prudence, which cauſeth vsus not to abuſe that knowledge of God, but to apply it to the true vſe: Gal. 5.6 Ia. 21.20Neither (laſtly) is it a dead thing, but liuely and working through charitie.
IV. Faith hath her increaſes.
And albeit the faith of the elect doth neuer vtterly decay, but alwaies liueth; yet we know that it is not alwaies ſo perfect and complet, but it hath daily neede of increaſe: for which both the Apoſtles prayed, Luc. 17.5 Eph. 1.17.18and wee confeſſe that we ought alwaies to pray vntounto god.
V. The confeſſion of the trueth cannot be ſeparated from the true faith.
Wee alſo beleeue that true faith can neuer (when neede is) want the true confeſſion of the trueth: Rom. 10.10.as ſaith the Apoſtle, VVith the heart man beleeueth vntounto righteouſneſſe, and vvith the mouth man confeſſeth to ſaluation: And therefore we condemne the Libertines, and others of their crew, that think it is in their owne choiſe to diſſemble the trueth in all places, and among all people, and to apply themſelues vntounto any religion.
VI. Hope ſpringeth of faith.
Wee alſo beleeue that hope ſpringeth of faith, and that faith is the foundation of hope, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Faith is the ground of things which are hoped for. Heb. 11.1.For therefore doe we hope for the good things to come, & aſſuredly looke for them through patience: becauſe wee beleeue in Gods promiſes.
VII. VVhat hope is.
Now hope is a gift of god, whereby we do as certenly looke for, as we aſſuredly beleeue through patience, in the merciemercy of God & for the merit of Chriſt alone, Rom. 8.24thoſe promiſed good thinges, which are not yet either had, or ſeene.
VIII. The aſſurance of hope, whence it is.
For Chriſtian mens hope as it doeth not ſpring of any humaine promiſes: ſo neither is it cheriſhed by humaine merites nor relieth thereupon, but being manifoldly confirmed and ſealed in our hearts by the ſole trueth of Gods promiſes; being alſo declared to all the faithfull by the mighty & all-working power of the ſame God alone which promiſed, but eſpecially beeing ſhewed openly in Chriſt at ſuch time as he raiſed him from the dead, and made him ſitt at his right hand in the heauenly places: Eph. 1.20and laſtly beeing fixed and vpheld by the onelyonly obedience and merits of Chriſt in whome we beleeue, and in whom we hope: it doth aſſuredly and ſtedfaſtly looke for the accompliſhment of our ſaluation, euen the reſurrection from death, the comming of the glorie of the great God, and of our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, and the full poſſeſſion of the heauenly inheritance.
IX. Charitie alſo doth ſpring of faith.
We beleeue alſo, that of true faith ſpringeth true charity, by which it worketh, and by which it ſheweth how forcible it is: as the Apoſtle ſaith, Gal. 5.6 1. Ioh. 4.3that the faith auaileth much in Chriſt which worketh by louelove: and Iohn affirmeth, that he which loueth not, Ia. 2.15.16hath not knowne God. Therefore we acknowledge not them for brethren, which boaſt of faith: when they hauehave not charitie.
X. Charitie is the gift of God.
And wee beleeue that the ſame charitie is the ſingular gift of God: 1. Ioh. 4.18whereby we are affectioned towards God the father, and Chriſt our redeemer, to louelove them againe & to glorifie them, with all our hearts: and inclined & made proue to good will and louing kindnes, aſwell towards al men, yea euen our enimies, as eſpecially towards the ſaintes and faithfull. Therefore we diſallow them, which ſaye, that man can of his owne naturall power louelove god aboue all things. For louelove commeth of God, 1. Ioh. 4.7ſaith Iohn.
XI. Teſtimonies of true charitie.
Neither doe we thinke that to be true and chriſtian charitie, which commeth not to that nature, which the Apoſtle deſcribeth in the firſt to the Corinthians chap. thirteen: ver. 4.5.6.7.namely that it ſuffreth long: is bountifull: enuieth not: doeth not boaſt it ſelfe: is not puffed vp: doeth no vncomely thing: ſeeketh not her owne things: is not prouoked to anger: thinketh not euill: reioyceth not in iniquitie: but reioyceth in the trueth: ſuffereth all things: and the reſt which follow.
XII. By charitie, the communion with Chriſt and the church is nouriſhed.
We beleeue that by true charitie the communion with Chriſt, and with the church is exceedingly cheriſhed, increaſed, and preſerued: in as much as louelove doth vnite betweene themſelues the perſons louing and beloued: as Iohn ſaith, He which abideth in louelove, abideth in God, and God in him.